1. Field
This invention relates to structures and methods for making electrical contacts to vertically aligned nanorods and arrays thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
There is currently great interest in employing nanostructures in various devices. Nanostructures exhibit extraordinary potential for light emitters, field emitters, sensors, and the like. For example, gas sensors are a very attractive application of nanostructures, since high sensitivity can result from the relatively very large surface areas of nanostructures to create a large signal per unit of detected species.
Arrays of vertically aligned nanowires can be grown on a conducting buffer layer. Such arrays may be based on, for example, zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods and are very attractive for gas sensors with high sensitivity. They offer exciting prospects for applications as electronic or optical electronic sensors and devices.